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Latest drowning cases a wake-up call for parents: Minister

September 16, 2020 12:45 pm

The drowning toll stands at 28 compared to 24 for the same period last year.

Minister for Children Mereseini Vuniwaqa has raised concerns on the spike in drownings in the past two weeks.

The drowning toll stands at 28 compared to 24 for the same period last year.

Vuniwaqa says this is a wakeup call for parents and guardians to always be vigilant of their child’s whereabouts.

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As Fiji approaches its final week of the second school term, Vuniwaqa is urging parents to be more responsible.

“And it goes down to parental responsibilities and I’m calling on parents to do that and we’ve got school holidays around the corner in two weeks’ time and during that time it’s so important to be aware of where your children are and what they are doing.”

In the past week, there have been five drownings.

The first was of two brothers one aged 11 and 9 who drowned at Nasilai in Tailevu.

Another was a 3-year-old boy who drowned at Nasali River in Rewa.

The fourth case is a 14-year-old victim who drowned at the Olympic Pool and the fifth is a 19-year-old who died trying to save his sister in Paipai River, Lautoka.